About The Colleton Center

"A sense of place..."

"I'm proud to say that three generations of my family attended Hampton Street School.

"The education we received within this special place has served us well. This facility will continue to bring families and friends together for learning, exploring, performing and much more as The Colleton Center becomes a reality. Now is the time to make it happen."

Kathie Smith,
Campaign Co-Chair

Let's create a place where our area's rich heritage and the promise of the future both find a home. Where residents and visitors alike gain understanding of what makes Colleton County unique. A place where children become artists, senior citizens find community, and the community finds a beautiful place to celebrate. The possibilities are exciting and real at The Colleton Center, a place which connects history with the arts.

"...built on a deep understanding of environment and history ..."

494 Hampton Street has been a corner of learning since the early 1800's when it was home to the Colleton Academy for young men. After being damaged by a tornado, the building's remains were moved down the street to the current location of the Old Academy Bed and Breakfast Inn.

In 1939 the old building was demolished and the Walterboro School District hired J. Peary Wilson and John Truluck to design a new school and auditorium - a project completed in 1942. The Hampton Street School opened its doors to young learners each fall until 2003. In 1996 quot;Friends of Hampton Street Auditorium" raised over $500,000 to renovate the school's 723 seat Art Deco auditorium - a facility enjoyed today by people from throughout the Lowcountry.

"The Hampton Street School has stood as a centerpiece of this community. Over the years, it has educated, entertained and served the county in many different ways.

This highly visible building on a beautiful historic street is poised to serve us again. I am excited about the opportunity to join together, meet this challenge and give this building a chance to serve not only Colleton County, but the entire Lowcountry, as a premier arts and civic center"

Harriet Bonds,
Executive Director

"...a sense of vitality built on a dynamic and broad-based involvement with the arts..."

Throughout the years, Hampton Street School has been alive with activity - as a film set for scenes from "Forrest Gump" and "Radio," as a home for classes and office space for the Colleton County Arts Council, as a performance space for artists from around the globe.

Today The Colleton Center, a newly formed non-profit organization, envisions a new life for the 48,000 square foot building.

The mission of The Colleton Center is to provide for the renovation and preservation of the old Hampton Street Elementary School building and for the development of a premier museum and arts civic center, serving the interests and talents of the diverse lowcountry residents and visitors.

"...a richer human community for all of us..."

An exciting new vision for The Colleton Center is taking shape: state of the art spaces for visual and performing arts, expanded space for the County Museum, a Civic Center - all housed in this historic building that has been central to life in Colleton County for so long.

In 2006, the Colleton County Courthouse began an extensive renovation project and created a temporary facility at Hampton Street School, investing over $1,000,000 in the building's infrastructure and some interior spaces. All of these improvements have remained since the Courthouse reopened in 2007. The Colleton County School District has contributed to the success of the project by conveying the building at an affordable cost. Additionaly, the City, the Arts Council and the County have each contributed $10,000 in seed money toward the project.